Daughter of Middle-Earth - Revised - Fellowship of the Ring
by Arrowhead1996
Summary: Serian is ready for a life of her own, but her parents have other plans. When she takes matters into her own hands, she is drawn into an adventure that will shape the future of Middle-Earth forever.
1. Running With the Wind

**Hello, Everyone! I was recently realizing how terrible my old writing style was. I was so afraid of breaking canon, that I didn't really try very hard to fit Serian in properly. So, I've decided to rewrite the story completely. This is chapter one of the rewritten version of one of my favorite stories. I'll be leaving the original up for a bit in case you guys want to compare. In the meantime, enjoy the rewrites!**

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Chapter One

Surprise

The fading grass had long ago turned into a blur as the horse's hooves pounded over it. The strong legs, covered in silky white fur, churned beneath the powerful body as the beautiful creature moved swiftly over the Autumn grass. Her rider clung to her back without the assistance of a saddle or reigns. The two of them moved as one, tilting into turns without any hesitation.

The girl astride the horse leaned forward, her long, golden hair mingling with her horse's white mane as they lept over a small stream and then up the hill just beyond. As they reached the top, the horse reared majestically, the girl clinging to her mane as the hooves pawed the air, and a cheerful neigh split the air. When they landed back on all fours, the girl patted her horse's neck in congratulations, and they headed back to the stables at a more sedate pace.

Their arrival allowed them a view of the stable boy as he leapt over the fence and approached with a smile. "Lady Serian!" he called, jogging over as Serian swung one leg over her horse's neck.

"Aherin!" she replied warmly. He held his arms up and she slid off her horse's back, allowing him to steady her as she became accustomed to the ground again. "Swan was wonderful today. I do love this time of year."

"As do I, my Lady," he replied, shifting around her to pet Swan. "Sadly, I must be the bearer of bad news. A delegation from Fornost has arrived. Your mother instructed me to tell you that you should join them when you've cleaned up."

Serian groaned in exasperation. Her good mood from a moment ago having been completely squashed. "Thanks. I'll probably be back soon, then." With one final pat on Swan's neck, Serian turned and headed toward the castle.

Inside, she took a moment to check her appearance in the first available mirror. Her normal riding outfit consisted of a pair of worn trousers and a loose white tunic. Her oldest pair of boots were also a bit worn, but they were still sturdy and comfortable. Over-all, she deemed her outfit acceptable for meeting people she didn't care for. Her hair, however...

Serian couldn't help but be proud of her long, golden-blonde hair. It fell in long waves down her back that, when properly taken care of, gleamed all the way to her waist. At the moment, however, having been tossed about in the rushing wind as Swan galloped at top speed, her hair was a tangled mess. She hesitantly ran a hand over it, before deeming it far too tangled for even a preliminary finger-comb to do much good. Only a wire horse brush would make a dent in it in it's current state.

She sighed and pulled a leather string off her wrist. She then tied the mass of hair back from her face, so that it hung down her back in a bedraggled pony tail. A quick check that no grass had been kicked up onto her outfit, and she proceeded into the sitting room where her parents awaited with the delegation from Fornost.

Serian had to bite back a groan when she saw just what this delegation entailed. There were two older men who were speaking with her parents, and one younger man who was idly browsing the books on the shelves that stood on either side of the crackling fireplace.

The door had creaked lightly as she pushed it open, and the sound alerted her parents to her presence. Her father frowned in disapproval when he saw her lack of outfit change, but her mother gave her such a disappointed look, that Serian almost felt sorry that she hadn't at least changed into something a little nicer. Almost.

"Prince Eric," her father said, his voice clearly indicating that he'd much rather this not be happening right now. "Allow me to present my daughter, Princess Serian."

The young man turned from his perusal of the books to face her. He had light brown hair and blue eyes, and wore a richly embroidered velvet vest over a white tunic and dark brown trousers tucked into black boots that had been shined within an inch of their lives.

He smiled and approached, holding out his hand to take hers. "My Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. You have long interested me, and I simply had to come and see if you were as beautiful as the stories say."

Serian this time had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. She recognized flattery when she heard it, and this was one of the most blatant forms she'd ever encountered. "I thank you for your compliments. A girl always likes to hear that she is well-known."

He laughed, such a practiced laugh, that Serian wondered if he'd ever really laughed before in his life. "My Lady, your beauty may be legend, but not so your wit. Come, sit with me." He walked across the room to the window seat, clearly wanting to put some distance between them and the grown-ups in the room. Serian glanced pleadingly at her mother, but the queen simply gestured for her to follow him. With a sigh, Serian obeyed.

Serian deliberately sat on the opposite side of the window seat from Eric, hoping to make it clear that she didn't want to be there. He didn't take the hint, and instead moved a bit closer, turning so he was facing her. "My Lady-"

"Serian," she said briskly, cutting him off before he could continue. "If you are going to address me from now on, please just call me Serian."

"Of course," he replied eagerly, making her regret her request almost instantly. "Serian. I did not speak in jest when I said that you have long interested me. Though your people remain within their borders and do not stray into the outside world, our two kingdoms have long been allied. There is, however, one step that we have never taken to solidify our accord."

Serian had never had much in the way of male companionship. Her only friends of the opposite sex were her cousin, Kemen, and the stable boy, Aherin. However, she was fairly well-read. She knew exactly what Eric was talking about, and she didn't like it. "What?" She had turned away from him when he finished speaking, but now he gently hooked a finger around her chin and turned her back toward him. He was so close now, a bit too close.

"I think you know what I want to ask." He'd dropped his voice down low, as though to make his words sound appealing. Instead, she pulled away from him, her face twisting with disbelief.

"Excuse me," she said, standing quickly and walking away from him. Her mother called her name, but she didn't stop until she was out of the room and had closed the door behind her. She leaned against it briefly, trying to regain her bearings. As the last few minutes settled themselves into her mind as being real, her face hardened with anger. Her parents were trying to marry her off! With that thought, she stormed off down the hallway toward the stairs that would take her to her bedroom. When she arrived and slammed the door behind her, she was unaware of the mirror outside that had cracked as she stormed past.


	2. Plans

**And here's chapter two! Plans are formed, and new people are met. I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's characters. I do, however, own Serian and anyone associated with her. Borrowing is allowed, but only with permission.**

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Chapter Two

Plans

Serian was still fuming ten minutes later when she heard a knock on her door. She had started on getting the tangles out of her hair and hadn't gotten very far, which didn't help her foul mood. "Go away!" she shouted, not caring how rude she sounded.

"Ser? It's me." The sound of her cousin's voice made her sigh. She didn't want to take her anger out on him. He was too nice. And he really didn't deserve it.

"You really shouldn't be around me right now," she called, more calmly this time.

The door creaked open, but she didn't turn away from her mirror. "I'll take my chances."

Kemen approached her slowly from behind, taking care to not make any sudden moves. He knew that Serian could be quite a force of destruction when she wanted to be. Without saying a word, he pulled up a chair and sat behind her, but a little to one side so he could see her face in the mirror. He then selected a section of her hair, and began working to untangle it with his long fingers.

The two of them sat in silence for several minutes, and Serian took this time to surreptitiously watch him in the mirror. Unlike most other people she knew, Kemen had dark hair and eyes. He preferred wearing darker colors as well, which only made his pale skin look even paler.

Right now, she could see his dark eyes looking at her hair, but they weren't focused on the task. His fingers moved gently, yet firmly through her hair, detangling the knots, but she could almost see the thoughts turning in his head. "Please say something," she murmured quietly.

He looked at her in the mirror, "What is there to say?"

"He wants me to marry him."

"I know. I figured they would try this again."

She frowned in confusion. "Again?"

He nodded, and focused back on her hair again. "They tried to do this when you two were little. But Eric's father didn't like the terms."

Serian had always known that Kemen was older than her, but she could never tell by how much. Sometimes it seemed like he'd been alive for many years, then other times he would do something that made him seem much younger. Then there were the times when he would mention something that made it seem like he had been certainly at least old enough to remember clearly.

"Now Eric is trying himself." She yanked angrily at a knot in her hair, and winced as the strands instead came loose from her head.

"Yes."

They were quiet again for a long moment then, and Serian was reminded that Kemen had always seemed to be able to get the tangles out of her hair much easier than either herself or her maid.

"I won't let it happen," she said finally. "I just won't."

"Serian," Kemen's voice was almost reproachful. "There isn't much you can do. You know your parents won't let you say no. What else is there to do?"

He was right, of course. Her parents wouldn't let her say no. So she'd have to do it without them knowing.

~~~.*.~~~

Serian point-blank refused to leave her room for the rest of the day. Dinner was brought to her by one of the servants, to whom she apologized for the extra work. He assured her that it was no trouble. Serian was well-loved by all of the staff, and she was counting on that love for her slowly-forming plan.

The next few days, she avoided Eric by staying out of the castle all day. She spent her time either riding Swan, or spending time with the villagers, which she did fairly often anyway. The people loved her as well, which did make her decision a bit painful. However, part of her couldn't help but think that it didn't really matter that much. Even if she did marry Eric, she wouldn't be ruling her people. She would be standing at his side while Eric ruled his people. Kemen would be ruling their people, not her.

Her parents had already planned a ball for her birthday, but now it was to be an even bigger event, meant to announce and celebrate her betrothal. The entire village was excited, and nobles from the other villages in the kingdom began arriving as the big day drew closer. Serian was forced to abandon her evasion tactics in favor of allowing the servants to fit her for her dress and discuss her hair and other party things.

The day before her birthday, Serian's best friend finally arrived. Moiria lived on the far side of the kingdom, so they didn't get to see each other often, though they always kept in contact through letters.

Moiria had golden-brown hair that was so straight, the two girls used to joke that the locks didn't know if they were supposed to be straw or hair. The teasing, however, had not been even remotely detrimental. When they were children, they used to have their nurses braid their hair together, so they had to walk with their arms around each others shoulders. The two were inseparable, and Serian was counting on her child-hood friend to help her in her scheme.

Moiria was just as appalled as her friend at the plans that her parents had made. When Serian told her of the plan she'd made, Moiria was more than willing to assist. That night, they slept in the same room, as they always did. However, this time, they weren't sure if they would ever see each other again.

~~~~.*.~~~~

The twentieth birthday of any royal person was, of course, bound to cause a great deal of excitement. And even more so when the royal in question is so well-loved by her people. Carts had been arriving all day bearing gifts of food, sweets, and trinkets. There were even a number of beautiful horses that had been raised specifically to serve the princess.

Serian watched all this commotion out her window as servants buzzed around her, straightening her dress, fussing with her hair, and fastening jewelry on what felt like every exposed part of her body. Of course, it wasn't quite that bad. A beautiful necklace of pearls and diamonds set in silver was fastened around her neck. A matching bracelet draped down her left hand and fastened around her middle finger. On her right hand, she was permitted to wear her favorite sapphire ring which went well with the gown of midnight blue that she'd been squeezed into. Her hair fell down her back in perfectly arranged curls, though it was pulled back from her face by braids on either side of her head which were decorated with flowers.

Moiria was dressed in a similar style, though she favored red and gold rather than blue and silver. She was the day while Serian was the night. It had long been this way, and, even now, Serian could not imagine it ever being any other way.

Finally, the time came for Serian to make her entrance into the ball. As they had always done, Moiria walked only a few steps behind and to Serian's right. They were so close that their hooped skirts were touching, the velvet clinging to each other just as the girls did.

Serian was announced with great fanfare, and she entered the ballroom to much applause. To her great disappointment, she was immediately scooped up by Eric, who insisted on the first dance. Serian was very polite as she turned him down. "Thank you, but my cousin and I have a tradition in that we each get the first dance at our birthdays. I will, however, permit you to take the one after." With that, she walked over to Kemen and he took her hand for the first dance.

The remainder of the ball was nearly insufferable as Eric continued to hog each dance, barely letting any of the other noblemen a chance to enjoy her company. Kemen was only able to manage one other dance, and that was because Serian insisted on it as it was her favorite. During the entire evening, Eric was overly polite and flattering. He complimented her jewelry, her dress, her hair. He even seemed to like that she and Moiria used opposing color schemes. It was really, quite irritating.

The worst part of the ball was when her parents brought everything to a halt to announce her engagement to Eric. The entire room erupted into cheers of congratulations. After that, there was absolutely no getting rid of Eric. He was practically fastened to her side.

As the ball wore on, Eric finally managed to get her alone by leading her out onto one of the balconies. "I have something for my bride-to-be," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"Well give it to someone else, then. I'm certainly not marrying you."

He gave her an angry look. "Our parents have finally come to an agreement about us. And I am determined to enjoy it. I suggest you do the same, or you will find yourself very unhappy for the rest of your life."

Serian couldn't say any more without giving away her plans, so she stayed silent. Eric nodded determinedly and pulled out the little box that was hidden there. When he opened it, the ring that was revealed was so big that no amount of glitter could make it attractive to Serian.

Smiling like he had just given her a great gift, Eric took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. "I had the royal jewelers make it just for you. Nothing less than the best for my bride."

Serian didn't say a word, she simply turned and marched back into the ball, more determined than ever to carry her plan out to completion.


	3. Escape

**Chapter Three! It's kinda short, but sweetness happens, and it's really a lead-up to what comes next.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of Tolkien's characters. I do, however, own Serian and anyone associated with her. Borrowing is allowed, but only with permission.**

 **Edit: I enhanced the description of Serian's necklace. Thanks to a number of people on Google+, I have a much better description of this special necklace!**

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Chapter Three

Escape

It took a few days before things had calmed down enough for Serian to execute her plan. Eric had been insufferable, sticking to her like glue and making it nearly impossible for her to do anything she normally would. He insisted that she remain inside the castle so that he could 'educate her' on how a queen should act. Basically, he wanted to start controlling her early.

Only at night, when the prince retired early, did Serian have any freedom. Her parents were no help, as they thought it only appropriate for her to get used to the way things were going to be from now on.

When the night finally arrived that she could put her plan into action, Serian had officially had enough. She'd blown up at dinner and stormed out when Eric just laughed off her anger. She went up to her room and started packing. She locked her door, so that no one could disturb her, and completely ignored any and all knocks and calls.

By midnight, she was ready to leave, the rest of the castle having long-since drifted to sleep. She was dressed in her riding outfit, and she'd braided her hair to keep it out of the way. Her bag was packed with extra clothes and some jewelry in case she could sell it for money. Eric's overly-gaudy ring was among the jewelry selected.

She set several notes on her bed and then headed toward the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find that Kemen was standing outside. "Do you know how long I've been out here?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, frantically pulling him into her room.

"Waiting for you. I couldn't let you leave without saying good bye, let alone without giving you your birthday present." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, wooden box. He handed it to her, and she opened it slowly. Inside was a heart-shaped pendant on a long silver chain. The pendant was etched with intricate designs, a masterpiece of intertwining metal, leading the eye the milky opal in the center. A passing glance would only reveal its simple, yet elegant design. However, Serian's close examination made it clear that there was something special about it. The stone seemed to glow on its own, clearly indicating that there was more to this pregnant than met the eye.

"Kemen, this-"

"It was my mother's. My father sent it back after he was killed. It was made by the dwarves."

"I can't keep this!" she protested. "This is your legacy."

"Serian, I can't let you leave without it. I'll feel better knowing you will have it with you. When it was brought to my mother, she was told that if she was ever in a situation where she needed a dwarf's help, she only needed to show this necklace. If you are ever in need, you will always find help with the dwarves as long as you have it with you."

Serian lifted the necklace from the box and nodded. "I'll wear it with pride." Kemen smiled back and helped her to clasp it around her neck. It hung glittering on her shirt.

"Thank you, cousin. Now, I really need to go."

Kemen nodded sadly, his smile fading. "I will miss you, Serian. Know that I'll always take your side when you eventually come home."

Serian nodded, then reached up and hugged him around his neck. "I love you, Kemen. Always have, always will." Releasing him quickly, she grabbed her bag and turned toward the door.

"Serian." She turned at his call. "May the Valar protect you, Cousin." Serian nodded in thanks, then turned and left her room.

~~~~.*.~~~~

After a quick stop in the kitchens for some supplies, Serian went straight to the stables. Her first stop was Swan's stall. She had to say good-bye. Her fingers slid slowly over the horse's soft fur. "I'm sorry, sweet one. You're far too distinctive. Kemen will take good care of you while I'm gone. I promise." She pressed a gentle kiss to Swan's nose, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks.

She petted Swan for a little longer, then moved down the row of stalls. The horse she picked out for this was one of the ones that had been given to her for her birthday. Most of them were out, allowed to roam the fields until she called for them. She'd asked for this one to be given a stall with her favorite horse.

He was big and muscular. His grey coat was soft and dappled like moonlight on snow. His white mane hung in gleaming waves down his proudly curved neck. Thanguron was the name she had chosen for him. "What do you say, boy?" she murmured. "Shall we get out of here?"

Since she didn't know him as well as she knew Swan, Serian opted for a bridle just to be safe. She shifted her backpack on her shoulders, then led Thanguron out of the stable and mounted him bareback. "Come on, boy. Let's get out of here."


	4. Bree

**Now things start getting interesting! I'm really enjoying this rewrite, and I hope you all are too!**

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Chapter Four

Bree

Serian rode through the night. As the sun peeked above the hills in the East, she arrived at the gates of Bree. She approached the gate slowly, and was impressed when a face peered through a small window that opened in the gate. "What do you want?" the man barked roughly.

"I wish to enter the city," she called.

With a grunt, the man opened the gate, and Thanguron trotted in. "Thank you," Serian said as the man shut the gate again. "Can you direct me to an inn, or some other place for travelers?"

"There's the Prancing Pony, just up the road. But I wouldn't recommend it. It's not a nice place for a lady."

Serian shook her head. "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine."

The inn was small, and not the kind of place she would usually let herself be caught dead in. However, she could tell that it would be perfect for remaining anonymous. She dismounted and tied Thanguron to the hitching post while she went inside.

Serian pushed back the hood of her cloak as she entered the main room. There were only a few people scattered around, most seeming to be in various states of leaving. Thankfully, the innkeeper was behind the counter and instantly noticed her as she walked in. "Well, what can I do for such a pretty lady?" he asked with a genuine smile.

Serian smiled back, grateful to see that he seemed to be rather harmless. "I find myself in need of a room. Do you have any available?"

"We do indeed," the man replied opening up a ledger and checking for a room. "How long will you be staying for?"

"Not sure just yet," she replied. "I haven't yet decided where I'm going."

"Where're you coming from?"

Serian hesitated. The last thing she needed was to make it easy for anyone to find her when they inevitably came looking. Thankfully, her hesitation seemed to be enough of an answer for the innkeeper, who gave her a sympathetic look and said, "It's alright if you don't want to tell me. Just one room?"

"Yes," she replied, a note of relief in her voice. "And stabling for my horse. I've tied him outside."

"Not a problem. I'll have the lad take care of him." He turned and shouted in the general direction of a young man with light brown hair who nodded, and went through the door to take care of Thanguron. "I'll show you to your room," the innkeeper said, grabbing a key and heading toward the stairs. "My goodness, where are my manners!" he suddenly exclaimed and turned around so quickly that Serian nearly ran into him. "I haven't introduced myself. My name's Butterbur."

"It's very nice to meet you, sir," Serian replied, her mind quickly lighting on the perfect name to use. "I am Silima."

"It is very nice to meet you too!" Butterbur replied with a smile before turning and continuing upstairs. Serian sent a quick thank you to her cousin for insisting that she get to know the people in her village by name.

When they arrived at her room, Serian had to admit to being impressed. It was better than she'd anticipated. The bedding looked clean, and the floor and been recently swept, and there were no cobwebs in the corners. There was even a nice fireplace which she expected she'd want later as cooler weather was beginning to make the nights chilly. "This will do nicely," she said, turning to smile at Butterbur.

He smiled back, looking pleased. "Wonderful! Will you be needing anything else?"

"Not just now, thank you," she replied. "I've been riding all night, so I'll get some sleep now and decide what to do later."

"Of course. And, if you'd like, the food isn't half bad if you'd like to come down later and mingle a bit."

"I'll take that under advisement, thank you." With a final smile and a nod, Butterbur left the room.

Serian settled on the bed, and was glad to find that it was decently soft. She pried off her boots and undid her braid, letting her hair fall around her shoulders. She then laid back on the bed, and let herself relax for the first time since leaving the castle. She was free, and no one was going to take this new freedom from her.

When she woke several hours later, she felt decently refreshed. She was a little sore, but she figured that was due to a combination of riding for several hours and sleeping on an inferior mattress. She dug her brush out of her bag and ran it through her hair, then re-braided the long locks. She changed into one of the other tunics she had in her bag, then pulled her boots back on. She was hungry and ready to see if Butterbur was just exaggerating due to pride in his establishment, or if the food really was good.

Serian headed down to the main room and settled in at a table at the side of the room. To her surprise, Butterbur himself came over and said hi to her. "So, you decided to come down. I was startin' to wonder if you were coming down at all."

"I was curious if the food was really as good as you said," she replied with a smile.

"Well, we'll just have to do our best to impress you then!" he said. He turned around and went back behind the counter. After a few moments he returned with a plate of bread and meat covered in some kind of gravy, and a cup of wine.

"Thank you," she said as he set them down on the table. He nodded and left to take care of other customers.

He hadn't been exaggerating about the food. It was decently tasty and she finished it quickly and easily. When she was finished, she went and sat a bit closer to the fire.

She was just lounging, gazing into the fire when she realized someone was watching her. She looked around, concerned that it was someone who was after her. But she finally saw a man looking at her from across the room. She didn't recognize him, but when she looked at him, he stood and came over.

He had longish dark brown hair, and a scruffy beard. He sat down in the chair beside her and held out a piece of parchment. She hesitated, but took it. When she looked down at it, she stiffened. Her own face looked back at her from the parchment. It was a 'Missing' poster offering a reward from Prince Eric of Fornost.

"You would do well to not stay here long, your highness," the man said keeping his voice low. "You aren't exactly the most inconspicuous person here." Her features must've given away her fear because his face softened. "What brings such an important person add yourself to this humble inn?" he asked gently.

Serian hesitated, reluctant to divulge her troubles to a complete stranger, but something in her told her that the man next to her could be trusted. "My parents wished me to marry the Prince of Fornost. I knew naught of him and so sought to escape the fate my parents had determined would be mine." The man nodded and was quiet for a moment while Serian returned to gazing deeply into the flames, her mind consumed with thoughts of how she was to escape her clingy husband-to-be.

"Have you determined what your course is to be?" the man asked, taking the poster back from her fingers, crumpling it and tossing it into the fire.

Serian looked at him sharply. "No. I'd thought to have a few days here to think before being forced to move on. But it seems that choice had been taken from me."

"Had you given any thought to seeking aid from the Elves?"

Serian gave him a curious look. "I'm uncertain. I think I'd planned mainly to seek out the settlements of men in the east: Rohan or, perhaps, even Gondor."

"You may find more ready help with the Elves. Perhaps…" he trailed off, his eyes suddenly focused on the necklace that had caught the light as Serian shifted toward him eagerly. "Where did you get that? He asked quietly," his hand twitching forward as though he wanted to touch it.

Serian glanced down and brushed the little heart with her fingertips. The stone in the center caught the light of the fire and gleamed brightly. "My cousin gave it to me before I left. His father sent it to his mother before he died in a battle before I was born. He told me I would always find help with the Dwarves of I needed it because of this necklace."

"So your uncle was the one who obtained the necklace?" he asked.

"Yes. Is there something wrong?" she replied, confused.

The man shook his head. He had stopped gazing at the necklace to study her face. "If you would permit me, I would like to take you to the Elves of Imladris. They will know how to help you; and how to explain the necklace you wear."

"First of all, I refuse to just go off with a man of whom I know nothing, not even his name. Second, I don't understand what else I need to know about my necklace. My cousin already told me about it."

The man smiled, laughing lightly. "You are a smart girl. You'll do well in the world. I am known as Strider in these parts, and that will suffice for now. As for your necklace, there is much to know about anything made by the Dwarves. More importantly, anything that will inspire them to aid anyone in possession of it garners investigation."

Serian studied him carefully. He looked rough and well-traveled. His clothes were worn, but there was evidence that they had once been well-cared-for. There was something about his manner that made her feel at ease. She gazed into his eyes, searching for any reason to not trust him. She found nothing. "When will we leave?" she asked.

"In the morning. One more night should not make much difference. As far as I know, no one else is aware that you are in Bree."

Serian nodded then stopped, "Wait. If you're the only one who knows, how did you get the poster?"

Strider smiled and stood. "I was coming down the Greenway when a rider stopped me and gave it to me. He asked me to put it up in the town. I was wary of the motives, however, so I kept it hidden until I saw you. And I am glad I did." He smiled again, then walked toward the stairs. "I will see you in the morning, My Lady."

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